The penultimate member of the 1972 Icee Bear Compete Set team makes his debut, and it's none other than ABA/NBA legend Connie Hawkins. This was a super tough one to acquire and I actually missed a cheap copy or two over the years that frustrated me to no end. Patience eventually yielded sweet Icee fruit and I was able to secure the former Globetrotter (1963-67) and Mr. Basketball USA (1960). Most importantly, he's my birthday twin (July 17th)!
Hawkins had an interesting journey to the league, being expelled from college due to false accusations of point-shaving. He was blackballed and then banned from the NBA for years and eventually filed and won a lawsuit against the league for over a million dollars. His career began with the Suns due to a coin toss.
The big boy, Wilt, is all that remains.
Connie's story sounds very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHalf the fun in writing these up is learning more about the athlete!
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